GREENSBORO, N.C. — While March Madness is known for creating magical stories, only one team each year experiences a happy ending.
On Sunday, in its matchup against No. 3 seed Xavier in the second round of the 2023 NCAA tournament, Pitt learned that it, like 67 others in the Big Dance, would be heading home with heartbreak. The No. 11 seed Panthers (24-12) saw their season come to a close in Greensboro, losing to the Musketeers (27-9) by a final score of 84-73.
"When you get to this part of the season, you know, it's cruel," an emotional Jeff Capel said after the game. "The ending is cruel because you're together, you're doing all these things, and then for everyone except for one team it comes to an abrupt end.
"I know our guys are hurting. There is a game that we really wanted to win, and we had a chance, but we just came up short."
After defeating a pair of slow-paced, defense-first teams in its first two tournament contests, Pitt struggled to adjust to Xavier's fast pace of play. The Musketeers' highly regarded offense lived up to the hype from the very beginning, building a double-digit lead in the opening half thanks to sharp shooting and crisp ball movement.
Pitt did its best early on to hang with its talented foe, but a 50% Xavier shooting effort from behind the arc in the first half was too difficult for Capel's team to match. Runs of 14-3 and 12-2 helped Sean Miller's group generate a 48-36 lead at the break.
"They played terrific basketball," Capel said, "especially in the first half. They really shot it well. They were very connected offensively, and they were able to get a lead going to halftime and had a lot of momentum."
Although the Panthers never stopped fighting, little changed until the game's final 20 minutes. A 3-pointer from Greg Elliott cut the Musketeers' lead to within 10 with 1:34 remaining, but in the end, Pitt's final push wasn't enough.
All five of Xavier's starters finished in double-figures in scoring, along with sixth man Desmond Claude, who had 10 points off the bench.
Graduate center Jack Nunge was a thorn in Pitt's side all afternoon, tallying 18 points before fouling out with 3:19 remaining. Adam Kunkel, meanwhile, made the Panthers pay from the outside, knocking down five triples in his 15-point effort.
Despite limited playing time in the first half due to foul trouble, Blake Hinson led Pitt in its loss, scoring 18 points. Jamarius Burton also finished with double-figures in his final game as a Panther, ending with 16 points, along with seven rebounds.
Though they struggled on the defensive end, freshman twin brothers Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham each flashed their potential on the offensive end, scoring 11 and seven points, respectively.
With its win, Xavier advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017. The Musketeers will face No. 2 seed Texas on Friday in Kansas City, Mo., at a time to be determined.
Key stat: Plenty of numbers demonstrate how Xavier was able to win handily over the Panthers, but nearly all of them are a product of the team's excellent ball movement.
"I would say that might be our greatest strength, just our ability to share the ball and play together," Miller said. "When you get to this level, you want to, whether you win or lose, be who you are. The way we played offense today was very much the team that we've been throughout the season."
The best passing team in the country displayed its ability to find the open man, assisting 22 of its 30 baskets. Limited mistakes and precise deliveries helped create easy scoring looks down low, where the Musketeers outscored Pitt 42-32 in the paint.
Quotable: After delivering his opening remarks, the first question Capel was asked in his postgame press conference was how Pitt's senior class will be remembered. The head coach didn't need long to deliver his answer.
"A group of winners," Capel said. "A group that's unbelievably connected, and guys that came in and believed in themselves, believed in each other, and believed in our program."
Each of the four Panthers who joined Capel at the podium spoke numerous times about the pride each of them shared from getting Pitt back on the national stage.
At the start of the season, few had pride in the 2022-23 Panthers. Pitt went from being picked to finish 14th in the ACC to winning a pair of games in the NCAA tournament, something only those in the program believed could happen.
"I knew it was possible with the group that we had," Burton said. "This group is special. This group believed and this group was selfless from the start, and that was the biggest thing that allowed us to be able to sit here today."
Up next: The Panthers head into the offseason looking to build off their success in 2022-23. Pitt will say goodbye to five seniors: Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, Aidan Fisch and Nike Sibande. Junior center John Hugley IV will also not be returning, as he entered the transfer portal last week.
"Unfortunately, in the way the job is now, you don't really get a break," Capel said. "You know, it's not like it was five years ago, ten years ago in the profession. So you get right back to it. The very first thing is that you try to figure out your roster. Then you try to figure out who you can go get?"
High school seniors Carlton Carrington, Jaland Lowe and Marlon Barnes make up a 2023 Pitt recruiting class that is expected to come in and provide an immediate impact. Capel and his staff will likely once again use the transfer portal to fill the remaining open spots on the roster.
"We'll look everywhere to find the right people," Capel said. "We want to get good players, but it's really important going forward, especially after this year with these guys, to make sure we have the right people."
